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Suspecting that, at the very least, the place would be a good option for River North professionals, a colleague and I staged a mock business meeting here to see if our hypothesis held water. It did, and more—it held juice. In fact, the fresh house-made juices were the highlight of our meal. The Dr. Defense—with apple, cinnamon, and black pepper—was a cidery intro to fall flavors, while my companion’s Blue Boost (blueberry juice, white grape juice, and basil) distilled the last of summer. Between the two, we felt like we were drinking in Indian summer.
The dishes we had weren’t quite so satisfactory. Mealy overripe peaches marred the otherwise outstanding waffles with vanilla syrup and whipped cream. The so-called Spicy Chicken Tinga wasn’t spicy and lacked any note of contrast to the soft chicken, over-easy eggs, and corn tortillas. How about at least a squeeze of lime or some piquant cabbage slaw?
But what about that “business meeting”? The ladies at the table next to us were able to conduct a lengthy legitimate one with minimal interruptions from the friendly, considerate staff. Seats began to fill up around lunchtime—for best results shoot for the lull between morning and afternoon service.
